{"id":56,"date":"2014-11-25T17:06:29","date_gmt":"2014-11-25T17:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.exodusintegration.co.za\/?p=56"},"modified":"2014-11-25T17:06:29","modified_gmt":"2014-11-25T17:06:29","slug":"really-is-the-customer-always-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.exodusintegration.co.za\/?p=56","title":{"rendered":"– Really, Is The Customer Always Right?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nimroth Gwetsa, 25 November 2014<\/p>\n

Hellopeter.com<\/em> and other mainstream media are littered with customer complaints about bad service from big companies. Today\u2019s customer is more empowered than yesterday\u2019s. Their connectivity to people across the globe and use of social media increase the power of today\u2019s customer.<\/p>\n

Is it the case of service levels deteriorating from previous highs, or are companies not keeping up with increasing sophistication of today\u2019s customer? Are customers abusing their \u201cpower\u201d by making unreasonable demands on companies?<\/p>\n

Despite answers to these questions, Is the Customer Always Right<\/em><\/span>?<\/p>\n

Reasons for poor services levels could be attributed to many factors. They are not only limited to what companies do or are not doing or have not done. Customers too, misbehave<\/em> sometimes. Customers misbehave when they fail to raise concerns first with their service providers but rush to vent their dissatisfaction on publicly accessible media platforms. They also misbehave when they fail to patiently wait for service providers to systematically solve the problem.<\/p>\n

Sometimes companies are to blame for customers\u2019 dissatisfaction with services provided. Poor communication by the service provider is often at the root of escalated customer complaints. Click here<\/em><\/strong><\/a> for more on the impact of poor communication on customer services levels. Click here also<\/strong><\/a> to read about how companies could generate new revenue from leveraging their current offerings.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

How far is the statement \u201cThe customer is always right<\/em>\u201d correct? Some regard the statement to be true always. They argue that companies have increased responsibility to ensure satisfaction of customers in their use or consumption of products and services provided. Others think the statement is true only situationally.<\/p>\n

PARODY OF DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW OF THE \u201cCUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
OPTIMIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cOf Course, The customer IS ALWAYS right!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\nPESSIMIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cOver My Dead Body! The customer IS NEVER right.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
REALIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cYep, what can we say! That\u2019s a CUSTOMER, alright.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\nIDEALIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cOne day, the customer\u2019s buying power will ignite socio-political activism required to change the world order and end war\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CAPITALIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cIf I create a DATABASE of customer records, link it to the Internet of Things and give it a sexy name, I could make a fortune!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\nCOMMUNIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cCustomer information belongs to every single one of us in equal measure!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CONSPIRACIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cThe \u2018KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER\u2019 government regulations are big-brother\u2019s way of invading our privacy!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\nSEXIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cThe customer isn\u2019t going to serve himself or is he, sweetie-pie!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NIHILIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cThe customer DOES NOT EXIST and neither do I\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\nOPPORTUNIST:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201cThere\u2019s a funny T-shirt in here somewhere!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Perhaps the answer lies in the decomposition of this expression in its individual words.<\/p>\n

The<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u201d is a definite article<\/em>.<\/p>\n

We are thus not referring to any ordinary customer, but that specific customer. The customer, who not only is in company records, but is also a person.<\/p>\n

Not everyone can be the company\u2019s customer. And the company\u2019s product cannot solve all problems customers have. Every effort costs the company some resources. Trying to please everyone because the company cannot \u201cturn away money<\/em>\u201d is costly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Customer service levels could be improved when companies avoid selling products and services customers are unconvinced about their efficacy or would not solve problems experienced.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Customer<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cCustomer<\/em><\/span>\u201d<\/strong> is \u201ca person who buys or a person with whom one has dealings<\/span>[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

A buyer<\/span> is not only a person with resources to buy the company\u2019s products a<\/span>nd services. A buyer is also a person with needs thought could be resolved through the consumption of the company\u2019s products and services. The definition thus covers existing, past and potential customers.<\/p>\n

Every business needs to invest in knowing their customers. Non-exhaustive examples of information companies should gather include knowing:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n